Scottish Executive

Animal Welfare

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in relation to the practice of "couping" Clydesdale horses.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is aware that a working group consisting of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, veterinary expertise, Clydesdale Horse Society and the Farriers Registration Council is actively considering the issue. We are content that these agencies are best placed to address any concerns about the process.

Civil Servants

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants in total it employed in (a) May 1999 and (b) May 2000 and how many it employs now.

Angus MacKay: The full-time equivalent number of permanent staff employed in the Core Departments, Agencies and Associated Departments of the Scottish Executive are shown in the table below. The figures include the Scottish Prison Service, which accounts for around one third of all staff.

  The definition of the Executive has changed over the last three years, following movements of responsibilities – most notably the creation of the Scottish Parliament and the Scotland Office. The figures shown below have been backdated as far as possible for comparison purposes.

  

 

May 1999
  

May 2000
  

February 2001
  



Number of Staff (FTE)
  

13,290.8
  

13,649.1
  

13,708.3

Economic Indicators

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Scottish economic growth rates to reach UK levels.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive does not forecast GDP growth rates. However, Scottish GDP growth strengthened in the most recent quarter and latest independent forecasts indicate growth in line with or above trend this year, with BSL and Cambridge Econometrics projecting that growth in Scotland will strengthen in 2001.

  The Scottish Executive is firmly focused on raising the long run sustainable growth rate of the Scottish economy by meeting the new international conditions for economic success - growing business, ensuring Scotland is globally connected, lifelong learning and skills development - through the framework provided by the Enterprise Strategy, A Smart, Successful Scotland.

Finance

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any reduction in the Department of Trade and Industry’s budget would, as a result of the Barnett formula, result in a reduction in the equivalent budget within the Scottish Consolidated Fund.

Angus MacKay: Any changes in the Scottish Budget are for the Executive to propose and Parliament to agree.

  The operation of the Barnett formula is set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. This is available on HM Treasury’s website, www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/news.html.

Health Technology Board for Scotland

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Health Technology Board for Scotland consults with health boards, trusts, the medical profession and patient groups regarding its decisions.

Susan Deacon: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) recognises effective communication processes are essential to its work and is developing a communication strategy to ensure it has ongoing dialogue with interested groups. It is also forming a Communications Reference Group to advise its board.

  HTBS will hold consultative seminars with health boards, Trusts and other groups in NHSScotland in spring 2001. Discussion at these seminars will identify preferred methods of disseminating HTBS advice.

  HTBS is actively building a communication network with interested groups, particularly patient groups, and individuals to support its consultation processes. In addition to an open and consultative process designed to ensure there is ongoing dialogue with interested groups, HTBS is also using its website to capture suggestions and encourage feedback, and conducting question and answer sessions with the public at the end of each of its board meetings.

  All documents issued by HTBS are placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre and advice that flows from the assessments carried out by HTBS will also be available there.

Homelessness

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many single people aged under 18 were homeless in each year from 1991-92 to 1999-2000.

Jackie Baillie: The available information relates to applications to Scottish local authorities under the homeless persons legislation. The following table gives the number of such applications where an under-18 applicant was assessed by the local authority as being homeless. It should be noted that some of the applications recorded in each year will be from single persons who have applied more than once during the year. Information for 1999-2000 is not yet available.

  


Applications Assessed as Homeless: 
Scotland, 1991-92 to 1998-99
  




Year of application
  

Single1 person households under 
  18
  



1991-92
  

1,700 
  



1992-93
  

1,600 
  



1993-94
  

1,700 
  



1994-95
  

1,900 
  



1995-96
  

2,000 
  



1996-97
  

2,200 
  



1997-98
  

2,100 
  



1998-99
  

2,300 
  



  Notes:

  1. Figures are estimates based on around 92% of case returns received from local authorities. Estimates are made by grossing to the reported total number of applications and rounding to the nearest hundred. See the Scottish Executive publication HSG/2000/5 for more details.

Justice

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the procedure for the selection of jurors.

Mr Jim Wallace: No.

Justice

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the rules governing those selected for jury service, in particular regarding their ability to make alternative domestic arrangements on their days of service.

Mr Jim Wallace: No. Anyone cited for jury service who can show good reason may be excused by the clerk of the court. The trial judge also has a similar discretion. A sympathetic view would generally be taken, if attendance would cause genuine problems of a domestic nature.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding the penalties available in cases where death is caused by dangerous driving.

Mr Jim Wallace: We receive occasional correspondence on road traffic law. This law is mostly reserved. Its implementation falls to the Lord Advocate and the courts. The Lord Advocate determines the appropriate charge and the courts the appropriate penalty. At present the maximum penalty for this offence is 10 years’ imprisonment.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Shiels Report on district courts was due to be published in November 2000; if so, what the reason was for the delay and when it will be published.

Mr Jim Wallace: As promised by the then Deputy Minister for Justice when introducing the Bail, Judicial Appointments etc (Scotland) Bill in May 2000, officials have been consulting informally on what issues to identify for review in a consultation paper. As part of this process, the Secretary of Commissions has held meetings with the District Courts Association and various groups of Justices of the Peace. Ministers will now be considering how to take the review forward.

NHS Boards

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities will be represented on the new NHS Boards referred to in Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change .

Susan Deacon: Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change makes clear our view that "in their local areas Local Authorities should have a strong voice on the new NHS Boards" (section 3, page 29).

  Some health boards already have non-executive members who are also elected local authority members. We believe that the presence of local authority members on the NHS Board will be important for the future development of local services.

  Further details of the role and proposed composition of NHS Boards will be set out in a detailed change programme, Rebuilding our National Health Service, which will be issued in the spring. In the meantime, we will be discussing this issue with COSLA and other key stakeholders.

NHS Waiting Lists

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the methodology for compiling hospital waiting lists has been amended since May 1999.

Susan Deacon: There have been no amendments to the methodology for compiling inpatient/day case hospital waiting lists since 31 March 1988.

Police

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has undertaken into any correlation between the funding of police forces and their success in controlling levels of crime and disorder.

Mr Jim Wallace: Although it has undertaken no research on this specific aspect, the Scottish Executive believes that adequately funded police forces are an essential ingredient in any broad-based strategy which seeks to tackle crime and disorder.

Police

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to reduce and remove any unnecessary administrative burdens on the police service and ensure that police officers spend more time on operational duties.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scottish ministers are committed to ensuring that Scotland has an effective as well as a strong police service and a range of measures have been taken to free up the time of the police officers for front-line duties. These include promoting the use of new technology, for example through initiatives such as the Integration of the Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems and the Scottish Police Information Strategy. We are also encouraging the use of support staff to take on duties that do not require the skills and powers of a police officer, and we are examining other ways. For example, we funded a pilot into delivering citations by post rather than by police officers, and are considering ways of extending this process throughout Scotland.

Schools

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of any allocations of grants to education authorities to support the development of Public/Private Partnership projects for school buildings.

Mr Jack McConnell: Following consideration of applications from some authorities, I am able to announce the following allocations which will enable the authorities to take forward work on feasibility studies into possible further school Public/Private Partnership projects:

  


Aberdeenshire Council
  

£242,000
  



Angus Council
  

£136,000
  



Argyll and Bute Council
  

£200,000
  



Dumfries and Galloway Council
  

£466,000
  



Dundee City Council
  

£305,000
  



East Ayrshire Council
  

£320,000
  



East Dunbartonshire Council
  

£125,000
  



East Lothian Council
  

£412,000
  



East Renfrewshire Council
  

£255,000
  



Fife Council
  

£295,000
  



Glasgow City Council
  

£150,000
  



Highland Council
  

£411,000
  



Inverclyde Council
  

£150,000
  



Midlothian Council
  

£140,000
  



North Ayrshire Council
  

£ 30,000
  



North Lanarkshire Council
  

£443,000
  



Renfrewshire Council
  

£245,000
  



South Lanarkshire Council
  

£245,000
  



Stirling Council
  

£130,000
  



West Dunbartonshire Council
  

£125,000
  



West Lothian Council
  

£138,000
  



  We have written today to all authorities informing them of the decision.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Scheme

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how payments to each member of the Scottish Transport Group pension scheme will be calculated.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish ministers are considering the basis for distribution and following the wind-up of the Scottish Transport Group we will be bringing forward proposals on distribution for the approval of the Scottish Parliament.

Training

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Modern Apprenticeships there were in May 1997 and how many there are on the latest available figures.

Ms Wendy Alexander: In May 1997 there were 5,236 Modern Apprentices in training: at January 2001 there were 16,924. In May 1997, 398 young people had completed their Modern Apprenticeship: at January 2001, 6,125 had completed their Modern Apprenticeship.

Training

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding will be committed to National Training Organisations over the next three years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: National Training Organisations attract funding from employers, government departments and other public sector and commercial sources. £1.5 million has been allocated by the Scottish Executive over the financial years 2001-02 to 2003-04 to assist the further development of the NTO network in Scotland, with a particular focus on promoting skills, employability and work-based learning at sectoral level.

Training

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budget for National Training Organisations is for the financial year 2001-02.

Ms Wendy Alexander: National Training (NTOs) are employer-led sectoral bodies which operate across the UK as the bridge between employers and those involved in the policy and provision of education and training. They attract funding from employers, government departments and other public sector and commercial sources. £0.5 million will be allocated to NTOs by the Scottish Executive in the financial year 2001-02 to assist the further development of the network in Scotland, with a focus on promoting skills, employability and work-based learning at sectoral level.